Improvement in propulsion of marine torpedoes



UNITED SrArEs Pn'rEiv'r EEroE JOHN ADAMS HOWELL, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROPULSION OF MARINE TORPEDOES.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN ADAMs HOWELL, of the United States Navy, have invented certain Improvements in Marine Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention has a double purpose, and is intended to be used in connection with that class of marine torpedoes known as self -propelling It consists7 first, in furnishing a torpedo With a fly-Wheel, this ily-Wheel to be moved by any power extraneous to the torpedo. It is to act as a repository of power, so that, on being detached from the moving force and launched in the water, the torpedo will be propelled by the inertia of the fly-Wheel, acting through a screw or other propelling instrument. The second aim ot' my invention is to apply that portion of the inertia of the revolving wheel which tends to keep its axis of rotation unchanged to the counteractin g of deviating forces. This is effected by giving the axis of the fly-wheel a particular direction in reference to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo. For instance, in launching a torpedo from the broadside of a vessel at full speed the iirst effect of the resistance of the water would be to turn the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. If provided With a rapidly revolving iiy wheel whose axis is in the horizontal plane, the resulting motion would be in the vertical plane. As the forces of gravity and buoyancy act in this plane, by applying them We could prevent or diminish the deflection of the torpedo in launching. By using two concentric parallel iiy-wheels of equal inertia and revolving in opposite direc tions the resulting "angular motion of the longi tudinal axis Would be reduced to a minimum.

The following is a general description of the accompanying drawing:

The figure is a section of the torpedo by any plane through its longitudinal axis.

c c c, &e., is the casing of the torpedo. b b is a stufdng-box, through which passes the propeller-shaft s s s. Secured to this shaft is the hollow cylinder A, which acts as a iiy-wlieel. B B are rin gs which support the journals of the shaft. Practically, it might be better to gear the ily- Wheel to the propeller-shaft; also, in order to al low the torpedo motion about a transverse axis in order to change its direction when in the water, the axis of the ily-wheel should be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo. In case of gearing the iiy-wheel to the shaft when the axes are in the same straight line, the reaction on the gears Would give a rotary motion to the casing, in a contrary direction to that of the screw. To utilize this motion screw-blades must be placed on the outside of the casing.

I claim as my invention- The combination of the iiy-wheel and torpedo for the purpose of propelling the latter, as hereinbefore set forth.

JOHN ADAMS HOWELL.

Witnesses: I

JAMES S. GRINNELL,

W. G. HENDERsoN- (137) 

